Oh man i need some ppl to play the switch with. I'll add you, the name will be Game.

Been playing the crap out of some monster hunter world. It's really good. Not exactly the same as the 3ds games, but close enough that it is basically the same game. Main difference i saw was monsters, and you don't use nectar to upgrade your kinsects. Otherwise same good game with different monsters.

Sure, and you could see Id has spawned other landmark evolutions of the FPS genre, like Quake.

That's a good point, as Quake was basically given the mantle to continue the line of Id FPSs, much like Doom was the successor to Wolfenstein, so the Doom line went dormant for a while before it's infamous return. Semi-retiring it had the desired effect of keeping the it special, maintaining its legendary status and not having to constantly live up to it (and we saw how all this can be turned on you with Doom 3), with the undesired tradeoff of it eventually becoming irreverent to the cutting edge of the genre until recently.

But they've also failed a few times, which is why to be honest I was surprised that Doom 2016 was as good as it was. It could have very well been another dud. Whereas with the Zelda series, the duds are rare and usually unexpected.

Yeah, after a few objective and relative failures, it's what you come to expect, especially when the bar to reach is DOOM! In that regard, Doom 2016 completely rewarded one's love of the genre and series, even if it wasn't revolutionary, it just felt "right" (actually, what was evolutionary about it was the way it translated and mixed old gameplay concepts in a modern way).

Anyway, I think I might be stepping back from Diablo Souls, aka Nioh, for a bit because I've reached a point in the DLC where every enemy can just 1 or 2 hit kill me and the item upgrades aren't accordingly rewarding, which is kind of what kept me coming back (IDK, maybe I screwed my guy up when I respec'd). If I can't enjoy it like Souls or Diablo, then I don't really need to play further, but we'll see. A week ago I was loving it, totally addicted, and having to seriously consider it against the other Souls games (I'll definitely take it over DS2! =).

And hey, a bit off topic, but here's one PS4 exclusive I don't need to worry about playing!

Star Wars: Battlefront II... and I feel guilty that I even impulse bought it on sale, then tried to return it but missed the deadline. Anyway, the gameplay is so simplistic and derivative it's really just for playing with Star Wars skins, but after years of DS, and Nioh the last few months, at least I don't have to worry about being able to progress adequately in the single player campaign on a nightly basis. It's definitively a comfortable, casual experience with some nice visuals, but it's such barebones empty calories I can't believe that EA couldn't pay someone to fucking revive Dark Forces/Jedi Knight or X-Wing/Tie Fighter as their own games, or do something new and interesting (nah!), instead of giving us this vanilla, jack-of-all-trades experience. They own BioWare, right? I bet THEY could make a good Star Wars game! It's kind of insane they haven't capitalized more on this, I guess they figure The Old Republic already checks that box and it'd be, like, work, to make a new good game instead of Star Wars themed Nintendo Land-style mini-games for $60.

Barring that, get back that license Disney and start assigning the good Star Wars gaming franchises to the appropriate developers. How about Dark Forces 2018 ala Doom from Bethesda/Id? =)

Oh, and because I've learned nothing, can anyone say if Mass Effect: Andromeda is worth it for $10? I could see enjoying it if it brings back the casual planet cruising of the original, but if it's a chore I probably don't have the time for it anyway.

Been playing Into The Breach since yesterday. Pretty neat game from the folks who did FTL.

Same! Beat it over the weekend, and I plan to play through it again with a few of the different unlockable squads.

It's a very well-designed tactics game, and it looks and sounds fantastic. Even with the FTL pedigree aside, don't skip out on this if you liked games like Front Mission and FF Tactics. There's a lot to love here, even if it's a pretty brief experience overall.

My one big regret is that I wish the whole experience felt more robust. It's not really a campaign like the aforementioned games. Instead it has replayability built into its core.

While it's certainly a much different kind of game from FTL, I find myself naturally comparing the two, and how much more HUGE and WILD FTL felt by comparison. Even surviving to the end of the campaign was an accomplishment. Whereas once you master the basic fundamentals in Breach, I've found that even if you can't punch your way to victory, you can always exploit the enemy positions and basically buy yourself time until the end of the round. I dunno, I just wasn't nearly as challenged as I was in FTL. And all the futuristic mech flavor of the game did was make me wish for a new Front Mission game.

I was going to give Mass Effect: Andromeda a try since I love the trilogy and the price was right, but couldn't even get it to boot up! I made the refund deadline this time and feel more like I dodged a bullet than missed out.

I was going to give Mass Effect: Andromeda a try since I love the trilogy and the price was right, but couldn't even get it to boot up! I made the refund deadline this time and feel more like I dodged a bullet than missed out.

Crash or no, that was never going to end well. I didn't play it, but I heard a lot of utterly hilarious anecdotal things about it through coverage. Even without the launch bugs, the story is just a fucking mess. Combat is apparently good, but if you can't get invested in the story, then the gravitas of missions is utterly deflated.

Crash or no, that was never going to end well. I didn't play it, but I heard a lot of utterly hilarious anecdotal things about it through coverage. Even without the launch bugs, the story is just a fucking mess. Combat is apparently good, but if you can't get invested in the story, then the gravitas of missions is utterly deflated.

Yeah, I was giving it a chance despite all that for old time's sake, dreaming of cruising planets again in the Mako on a much grander scale, and couldn't have been more immediately and decisively disappointed. It would just display a black screen with occasional pixel artifacts flashing, and while I briefly looked for solutions I'd already had it for a while and didn't want to miss the return window while troubleshooting a bad game that was already fighting me in the worst way. Couldn't have lived more down to its reputation!

I finished System Shock yesterday. It was awesome. I was very surprised at how detailed and interesting it was, given almost all FPS in the early 90s were basically Doom clones. I had a lot of fun playing it and I can't wait to try out the sequel.

Finished Star Wars: Battlefront II, which was fine for what it is (modern Star Wars game) if a bit simple and uninspiring compared to some of its more famous predecessors. At least least it had a campaign and I was able to get my money's worth in time spent.

After that I revisited and wrapped up Rise of the Tomb Raider, which I enjoyed much more after a little break. There's basically no difference between it and the first game though. It might as well be a full length DLC of the original. I absolutely won't be getting Shadow of the Tomb Raider unless it's heavily discounted on sale and I'm bored with the free time, so probably not unless it's like $3.99 and it doesn't matter if I play it anyway.

Also started... Red Dead Redemption! OH MY GOD IT'S THE BEST GAME EVER NOBODY ON PC CAN PLAY! Well, maybe not anymore, it's just kind of GTA in the old west. To be fair, that was the idea of the best game ever eight years ago, but it feels a bit more staid nowadays and I've been over GTA since San Andreas. Still, it's undeniably cool, especially if you get the spaghetti Western references, so I look forward to more Westworld: The Game.

I'm also fielding PS3 recommendations if anyone has strong opinions on anything. I actually have a ton of second hand games for it but don't know which I should play besides RDR and Demon's Souls (I have the HD remasters of Ico/SotC in my Amazon cart, but haven't pulled the trigger... =).

I finished playing Doom II, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic CD.

I loved Doom II, even if was just more of the same. I had a blast playing the Sonic games, too. I played the Game Gear Sonic games when I was a kid, but this was my first time through the Genesis (and Sega CD) games.

I was going to play Sonic 3 & Knuckles, but I'm waiting for my Logitech Gamepad to get here (I'm going to play it on Steam, and I don't intend to use the keyboard ), so in the meantime I'm playing Donkey Kong Country. DKC was a game I only had a chance to play at my friend's house growing up, so I'm really excited to try it on my own.

I'm also fielding PS3 recommendations if anyone has strong opinions on anything. I actually have a ton of second hand games for it but don't know which I should play besides RDR and Demon's Souls (I have the HD remasters of Ico/SotC in my Amazon cart, but haven't pulled the trigger... =).

I highly recommend the version of Sonic CD available on the Playstation Store. I finished it this weekend and it was a blast.

I highly recommend the version of Sonic CD available on the Playstation Store. I finished it this weekend and it was a blast.

Ah yes, the iconic PS3 title synonymous with the system: Sonic CD! I guess that says it all about the PS3.

Alas, I've played Sonic CD before and it wasn't one of my favorites because I find it too uneven and jarring overall; it just doesn't flow like, say, Sonic 2. Sonic 3 I have fond memories of though, even moreso than when you locked it on to Sonic & Knuckles (which ruined Knuckles music). Loved the save system (back when that was a big feature =) and pretty much all the levels are excellently crafted for speed and exploration, though it's relatively short, just six zones without the & Knuckles expansion, but it was quality over quantity and Sonic's last hurrah.

Anyway, some other PS3 games I have that I haven't played, feel free to encourage:

L.A. NoireSpec Ops: The LineArmored Core 4SplatterhouseAssassin's Creed 3A bunch of FPS and racing games I don't want to play

Man, I wish in the past I had bought my brother in law PS3 games I wanted to play instead of ones I already have like Mass Effect 2! I should have been thinking about MY future!

Also, a question for fans of The Witcher franchise: The Witcher 3 is supposed to be one of the best games ever, but do I need or should I complete 1 & 2 first to appreciate it? Time is of the essence as I only have a few weeks tops before my kid is born and I probably can't play Red Dead plus all The Witcher games before then!

Also, a question for fans of The Witcher franchise: The Witcher 3 is supposed to be one of the best games ever, but do I need or should I complete 1 & 2 first to appreciate it? Time is of the essence as I only have a few weeks tops before my kid is born and I probably can't play Red Dead plus all The Witcher games before then!

I donít think so. The lore is pretty crazy and deep, but even if you play those, the books would be just important as well. Theyíre all so different! Iíve loved them all but 3 ruined this generation for me personally. While Iíve really had a blast with BOtW and Horizon: Zero Dawn, after the witcher 3 Iíve felt empty in comparison. Enjoy the game and enjoy that baby. Life will change forever.

Want to add that the character profiles in game are extensive, so any information you need to know about will be explained. Prepare yourself for endless side quests that feel like good episodes of television.

Logged

Believing in a higher power is just as illusionary as believing life has no ultimate purpose and pretending it does.

Sonic 3 I have fond memories of though, even moreso than when you locked it on to Sonic & Knuckles (which ruined Knuckles music). Loved the save system (back when that was a big feature =) and pretty much all the levels are excellently crafted for speed and exploration, though it's relatively short, just six zones without the & Knuckles expansion, but it was quality over quantity and Sonic's last hurrah.

The version of Sonic 3 on Steam is the same as the locked-on version from the Genesis days. I'm looking forward to playing it, since I've heard it's the best of the series.

Also, a question for fans of The Witcher franchise: The Witcher 3 is supposed to be one of the best games ever, but do I need or should I complete 1 & 2 first to appreciate it? Time is of the essence as I only have a few weeks tops before my kid is born and I probably can't play Red Dead plus all The Witcher games before then!

It does what it can to ease unfamiliar players into things so they can enjoy it without playing the previous titles, and it includes an extensive glossary of character biographies that sum up who the various people you meet are and what they have done in both the previous games AND books to help keep you up to speed. As someone who followed the game trilogy from the beginning though, I can't exactly say how good a job it does for people coming in fresh, but being as TW3 outsold the first two games by a considerable margin, I'm going guess it did fairly well on that front. *Shrugs*

It certainly isn't the wall of impenetrable fog that something like Metal Gear Solid 4 was.